Lethellan to Lath
by sunset for one
Summary: A series of stories from the childhood of Lyna Mahariel, before the taint. F!MaharielXMerrill.
1. Arlathvenn

**A/N: **I don't know if anybody even thinks about Dragon Age Origins anymore, but it's my all-time favourite game. This is gonna be a series of f!MaharielXMerrill stories set before Mahariel is tainted in the origin story during their childhood and teen years. I think they're an adorable couple and there aren't enough stories about them. The number of stories will depend on my inspiration so nothing's concrete. If anybody is reading this and wants to see a specific story about these two, you have but ask. POV's might vary from story to story, I'm not sure but for now it's Mahariel's POV. Italics indicate thought. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer/"Warning":** I do not own Dragon Age, if I did, Merrill would have been a romance option in Origins. This will contain femslash, don't like it, don't read it. This is T for now, but will more than likely, hell who am I kidding, most definitely change to M later.

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The Arlathvenn. The Gathering of the Clans. All the clans from across Thedas had somehow managed to meet, this time in Nevarra. The Alerion Clan was the host of this Arlathvenn, as they had the most children born with magic. My clan, the Sabrae clan, had only arrived yesterday, and the festival was in full swing. My friend Tamlen and I were only allowed to mingle with others of our age, four, in this situation. Tamlen and I made small talk until Keeper Marethari called the Sabrae clan together. We all sat before her, in our age groups, and awaited her news. Beside the Keeper stood a girl around my own age, wide-eyed and nervous looking. She had short black hair and the most beautiful green eyes I had ever seen.

"This is Merrill," the Keeper began. "Merrill will be joining the Sabrae Clan as my First, as we have no children with magical talent ourselves. Merrill is from the Alerion Clan, our hosts, and I expect you to all make her feel welcome."

Merrill's eyes searched the clan, looking for any friendly faces. She made an awkward wave. I felt badly for her, and so I waved back to her. Keeper Marethari gave me a thankful and relieved look as she dismissed the clan. As I stood to go back to mingling, the Keeper called my name. She pulled me aside.

"Lyna, I need to ask a favour. Merrill is a very nervous girl," I almost snorted as the Keeper said this. _That's putting it mildly._ "I don't think she's likely to mingle on her own, and she could use a friend. After all, she is leaving her entire clan behind to go live with strangers. If you would let Merrill follow you around, maybe talk to her a bit, for at least the rest of the Arlathvenn, I would be extremely grateful."

I thought back to the girl. Something about the way she carried herself made me smile. Almost like a lost baby halla.

"Of course Keeper, I would be pleased to show her around," was my response.

"Ma serannas da'len."

With that the Keeper retrieved Merrill and left her in my company. Now that I was standing, I saw that I wasn't much taller than Merrill, which made her pretty short. She was quite scrawny and looked almost fragile. For some reason, this made me feel protective of her.

"Aneth ara, lethallan. I'm Lyna," I greeted.

Merrill looked uncomfortable, but managed an "Aneth ara".

"How old are you?" I inquired.

"I-I'm four. How, um, how old are you?"

"Also four," I smiled reassuringly. "The Keeper has asked me to show you around. Not that you don't know where you are, just that she wants someone to befriend you." _That was tactful._

"Oh. Does that, um…"

"Does that?..."

She blushed. "Does that mean we're friends?"

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**A/N: **So that was the first of the series. Just a fragment of how Merrill joined the Sabrae clan. I'll have another bit up soon. Thanks for reading.

**P.S. A/N: **Sorryif four year-old Lyna seems more sophisticated than most four year-olds, I don't remember what it's like to be four.


	2. The Bear

**A/N:** Next story in the series. Still Lyna's POV. Thanks to any readers, you guys rule.

"Do you think we'll find any deep mushrooms?" Merrill asked as we walked through the woods. The Keeper needed some elfroot and other plants for healing poultices and Merrill had volunteered to gather some for her. It had been about a year since the Arlathvenn and Merrill and I had become close friends, so naturally I had offered to come with her. Safety in numbers and all that.

"Maybe. Don't they usually grow underground?" I inquired as Merrill examined the underside of a rock.

"Yes but sometimes they grow in dark, moist places above ground," she held up a few of the mushrooms, "like under rocks." She smiled, adorably I might add, and looked rather pleased with her find.

"How do you know so much about plants?" I laughed and put the deep mushrooms in my pack.

"I have to. The Keeper has to know all about medicinal herbs and plants. I also think that most of the plants are pretty, too." She bent down to gather some elfroot.

"Even this?" I snuck up behind her and draped some moss over her head.

Merrill yelped and a nearby bush caught fire. She shrugged off the moss and turned her attention to the fire.

"Oh no, not again!" She exclaimed, sounding slightly exasperated. Merrill then poured some water from her water skin onto the bush to douse the flames. "There." She turned her attention to my direction, where I stood laughing hysterically. "Lyna!"

"Sorry, sorry. I didn't think you'd be that surprised," I managed to say when I calmed down. "Is it that hard to control your magic?"

"Sometimes," she squeaked out suddenly looking uncomfortable.

I looked at her and smiled. "Well I think you're doing a great job," I reassured as I placed a hand on her arm. She smiled. "Come on, let's look for those other ingredients."

I took her hand and we continued our walk through the forest, stopping to gather plants as we went. We had gathered nearly everything when I heard something. A shuffle followed by a low rumble. I stopped Merrill.

"Hang on. Do you hear that?" Merrill listened. Again we heard some shuffling. I walked ahead of Merrill. "I don't think it's coming from here-"

"Lyna!" Merrill screamed as I turned to see what she saw. Standing there on its hind legs was a bear, no less than ten feet tall. It lowered itself to all fours and began approaching Merrill. Merrill backed away slowly, until her back was to a tree. The bear gave a low growl and was nearly upon her. I panicked.

"Merrill, use your magic!" I commanded as I tried to think of something to do.

Merrill raised her hands and looked as if she were preparing a spell. Then, she blanked out and could only look on in horror at the bear. I didn't know what else to do, so I began shouting at the bear to grab its attention. When it only glanced in my direction, I threw a rock at its head, landing a solid hit. The bear turned to me and charged. I pulled the knife from my belt and prepared myself. _I'm going to die, I'm going to die. Mythal protect me, I'm going to die!_

The bear was upon me and clubbed me with its ginormous paw. The blow landed on my face, scratching across my left cheek and eye. I screamed in pain, but somehow managed to avoid another paw punch by rolling out of the way. When I regained my feet, I slashed out with my knife. I barely landed a cut on the bear's maw, but the cut was enough to stop its bite. The bear was stunned only a second, but it was enough time for me to stab its eye. The bear roared out and I managed to sink my blade into its neck. And then again. And again. I kept stabbing the bear over and over, long past its death until my adrenaline ran out.

I turned to see if Merrill was alright. All I remember was her running toward me before everything went black.

I woke up, Creators know how many hours later, in an aravel. Someone was pressing a water-soaked rag to my face. Why did my face sting? I started to sit up when I was gently pushed back down.

"Don't move da'len. I need to replace the poultice on your wound," came the soothing voice of Keeper Marethari.

"M-my wound?" I asked, still confused.

"From the bear you and Merrill encountered in the woods? Do you remember?"

Suddenly it all came back to me. "Oh. Oh! Is Merrill alright? Where is she?" I shouted as I bolted up.

"Be calm, da'len! And lay back down. Merrill is fine. Who do you think carried you back to camp?" Marethari chided. She began applying a poultice once I laid back down.

"Merrill carried me back?!" I almost giggled at the thought. "But she's so small. How did she manage that?"

"The same way you, who aren't much bigger than her, were able to kill a bear. Adrenaline and the pure protection of Mythal."

"Can I see Merrill?" I winced as Marethari touched the gash under my eye.

"I'll tell you what I told her. Once I'm done applying the poultice and wrapping your wound, you can see her."

After ten or so more minutes the Keeper was finished and she let me go. I left the aravel and scanned the camp for Merrill. I spotted her crouched beside a pond.

"Aneth ara," I greeted as I sat next to her. "How-" I was cut off when she nearly tackled me in a hug, almost hitting my face.

"Oh lethallan I was so afraid you were dead! Well, maybe not dead but I was so worried for you. Oh this is all my fault." She pulled back and examined my face. Her fingers ghosted my bandages. "If I had used my magic when you told me to-"

I placed a hand over her mouth. "Merrill I'm fine. It's not your fault. You froze up, its no big deal. Besides, I was the one who threw a rock at a bear."

"Why did you?"

"I wasn't going to let it kill you. You're my clanmate and my best friend." I smiled at her.

"But it could have killed you!"

"Better than it hurting you."


	3. The Hahren's Tale

A/N: Next installment. Thanks for reading.

"Gather, da'len, hear of the Fall of the Dales. Hear the tale of what makes you Dalish," Hahren Paivel began as the children of the Sabrae sat around to hear the Hahren's tale.

"Long ago the Elvhenan lived in Arlathan, living by the bow and worshipping the gods. We lived in harmony. But then the shemlen of Tevinter waged war on our homeland, and we fell," Paivel paused.

I looked over to Merrill who sat very attentively next to me. Merrill studied the ancient lore nearly every day as the First, and I thought she could use a laugh.

"If you've ever lost your bow, it's a lot like that," I whispered over to her. Merrill looked at me and couldn't help but giggle.

"Is there something wrong, da'len?" The Hahren questioned the now mortified Merrill.

"N-no of course not, Hahren. I... had something caught in my throught," Merrill coolly lied.

"Please try to be quieter. Where was I? Ah, yes. We were made slaves to a terrible race. For centuries all hope seemed lost. But then, with the help of the shemlen Andraste, we were freed. We rebuilt our homeland in the Dales, recouping our lost culture."

"But the humans wouldn't let us have that either," Tamlen, who sat to my left piped in.

"Yes. The zealots of the Chantry lead the Exalted March on the Dales, and again, we fell," the Hahren's face was again solemn. "But some were too proud to submit to the shemlen. Instead, we chose to wander until the Elvhenan again have a homeland."

"Just think of the celebration we'll have then," I laughed. Again, Merrill giggled despite herself.

Hahren Paivel looked slightly exasperated. "We are the last of the Elvhenan, keepers of the lost lore. Never again shall we submit," the Hahren finished.

The crowd stood and dispersed, but Merrill remained to speak with Paivel, per his request. He looked rather cross and I was worried. Tamlen urged me to come with Fenarel and him to the lake. I told him I'd be there in a moment. I stood within earshot of Merrill and the Hahren, in case things went sour.

"Merrill I thought that you as the First would at least have enough respect to remain silent while I told our lore to the da'len," the Hahren chided.

Merrill looked very meek and ashamed. She tried to speak but seemed she couldn't find her voice. _This is all my fault_, I thought. I stepped in.

"Forgive me, Hahren, but it was my fault that Merrill laughed during your tale. I was making her laugh where she would have been listening intently on her own," I stated as I stood protectively in front of Merrill.

"Lyna, it's okay," Merrill whispered to me from behind.

The Hahren studied me for a moment. Then he said, "Well then, Lyna, perhaps you wouldn't mind studying a bit to help me tell the tale of Asha'belannar tomorrow evening."

_You win this time Paivel._ "Of course, Hahren, it would be my pleasure."

"Good. And perhaps Merrill can help you study," he commanded rather than stated before walking away. I turned to Merrill and groaned. I had never been one for concentrating on one thing for too long, except for Merrill.

"Studying?" I complained.

"It's okay Lyna, I'll help you. It'll be fun!" Merrill chirped. Merrill loved studying Elven history more than anything, so naturally she'd be excited.

"Spending time with you? Doesn't sound too bad," I smiled.


End file.
